FOLK SCHOOL FOR VICTIM AND MARZINALIZED IN AYER VARANASI

Thursday and Friday, 13 to 14 September, 2007.

Venue: Eklavya education center Ayer (Mushar ghetto), Varanasi

PARTICIPANTS: over 41 people participated, who were living in Ayer (Mushar ghetto. All participants were on leave.

Morning Session: 11:30am- 2 pm

Lunch Session: 2 pm – 2:30 pm

After noon Session: 2:30 pm- 4pm

Tea Session: 4pm – 4:15 pm

Evening Session: 4:15 pm- 6:30 pm

PURPOSE:

The purpose of Folk school is to share and uncensored the victims of police torture, caste conflict and village head do things with his own wishes etc in front of each other and tries to find out the common solution & strategy.

Disscussion:

Chandra Devi: Chandra Devi about 55 years old lady. Her whole family is suffering from police torture. She said her younger third son Umesh is naughty and 15 years back he ran away from his house. We have no information about him that where he is, what he is doing. Police daily come and torture us and take any male from our family to police station.

My second son Paharu was bathing than police came and take Paharu with himself. Police gave him drug material and clear that he is smuggling drugs and kept him 8 days in jail. It was not under his right; Police can only keep for 24 hours in jail. He works in brick making factory Second times in Gyanpur police gave 12-canvas bag and took him to illegal factory. Police involve him in fake case; Paharu was send to Mirzapur jail.

Till now Chandra Devi family didn’t know that his son Paharu is involved in fake case. Chandra Devi went to Cholapur police station to know about his son. Policeman said I am not in charge of this police station but my duty is in another police station, she said policeman was saying wrong. Chandra Devi said to policeman that you people have disappeared my son policeman was silent. She wrote missing report in police station. After hard labour and spending 13,000 Rupees she find her second son Paharu. Now this family is not finding work in brick making factory and result of this is that Chandra Devi family is suffering from starvation. Than also policeman is threatening them. Villager threats Chandra Devi family in the name of police, Kotedar sells there ration of Chandra Devi and don’t give ration to them. Chandra Devi family is living their life under the of terror and hunger.

Once collector sahib came to our village and calls me. He said that how son you have born. She replies that when I was pregnant that I don’t know my child will be like this. They become like that after coming on land. Listening this entire collector sahib was silent. At last collector sahib gave 49 Rupees and said inform police after finding Umesh.

Than chandra Devi said that from 15 years I have no information about him than how can I find him in just only 40 Rupees. She said that mine caste makes bricks, we make mahal of others but we have no proper mud to lives in. than also this old women alone went to police station, court and set her son free without any body assistance. Because leader and policeman ask money in return of assistance.

How can we live in this land when society and policeman have jealousy with us?

Sudama Devi: She cried after describing 15 years back incidence. His relative did wickedness, policeman daily come and threat Sudama Devi family. After six month Police came and arrest her husband for eight days. As he was the only earning person in the family? In between Sudama Devi son fall sick, she took debt for her son treatment after working in brick making factory she pay the debt. For 8 days she daily went to police station and she have to prove that her husband is not thief. In evening policeman said to victim, “go home” than victim said after arresting innocent person you are saying, “go home or outside”.

Gita Patel: After remembering her childhood days she said that in 1985 her three-generation threat in fake case in court. Every day police abuse to women because men live outside in fear of policeman. Her family set free from village panchayat.

Asha: She said that villagers have conspiracy with our community people, they want to make road in my land. Road go from elite people land. They want to build road in my land and plough on Government land.

Somaru Prasad: he said, “No conflict is possible without courage”. Five years back the son of Singh fire holika of chamar ghetto one day before. When we Protest than Singh children beat us. After knowing this incident angry Chamar ghetto people went and ask reason why their son beat our people. Justice talk was done with police officer and Singh. Singh people accept their mistake.

Dharma Devi: Aura road is always full of water. In the gallery of village drainage is dig and which was left in-between. Condition is these children came outside from house and bath in the drainage water. Villagers talk to village head that they want to get rid of this problem. Than village head said that till now no budget came for the construction of drainage. Due to less budget construction of drainage stopped in between. SHG scheme is running in Ayer and the responsibility of sister Manju is to keep the record but she lost the register of SHG. So Income and expenditure of 4 and 5 month is not getting clear. Toilet facility is also not provided.

Kalawati: Few years ago at 6 am people from Kurmi caste and fired Mushar ghetto. The result of this fire was the entire utensil, bed sheet, and ration was burned in fire, only clothes which were worn by us was safe. Till now we are not unable to make home or nor they get from Indra Awas yojana.

The result of this incidence is when these Mushar people went to take dry wood to cook food than some young generation people from Kurmi came and start fighting with us.

In fight one Kurmi Bachanu died, we have no intention killed him. Next day before 6 am Mushar people were sitting in front of fire than Kurmi people came and informed that Kurmi Bachanu died. All Mushar people ran to police station getting chance Kurmi people lit fire in Mushar ghetto. The results of this fire was19 house were burn in this fire and with the assistance of fire brigade the fire was off. 6,000 Rupees were announce to be paid as compensation, till now they didn’t get single Rupee.

No allotment of home under the scheme of Indira Awas Yojana. She don’t have below poverty line card, only two or three person have below poverty line card. She has only one son and he died some years back. She grievance to village head that there is no facility of drinking water, widow and old age pension is not provided to needy person. She works in brick making factory, when she makes 1,000 bricks than after labour she get 120 to 140 Rupees in three days. Other wise she gets 20 Rupees by making hundred of plates from leaves. Her livelihood is maintained by selling this plate in Varanasi by expensing fair. The cost of per kg leaves is 2 to 3 Rupees. Now she fined less leaves to make plate. She gets complete food (rice, roti, dal and vegetable) in a week.

After lunch Sushila, Urmila, and Radhika sing group song- “to keep our village in front, and decorate with the development”. Again discussion start-

Daya Bhai: is grass root activist in police torture. He gave information how to prevent from police protection. He told when police came to arrest that you ask, in which case are you arresting etc. you should also point at what time police man came, date, were they in uniform or not, vehicle no, give this information to any organization. So, that query should be done from police station. Immediately do telegram to DM and S.P after arresting.

Dr. Lenin: inform villager that only ladies police can arrest ladies. No police can arrest women’s in night. He asked how many people know that police have no right to beat, than three women said that they know. Gradually we people start knowing all these thing and policeman have no courage to beat us. Some women’s said that police always beat lenient person. Than Dr. Lenin explain that police have no right to beat lenient person and policeman cannot keep in his custody more than 24 hours. After 24 hours he should be called in front of District Judge. Police beat and take statement. Under article 162, but this is not the perfect evidence and court will not take it as evidence. Under article 164, confessing in front of court is the main evidence.

After Dr. Lenin explanation slogan was given “one for all and all for one”.

The curriculum of First day folk school finished and again tomorrow at 11 am again all people will gather in eklavya education center.

Tomorrow at 11 am all people get together at Eklavya education center Ayer (Mushar ghetto), again after introduction and Rajendra sing song and all people follow his song, discussion on folk school start.

Vinay Ji: Told villager about the importance of birth registration, and give Example- Confounded in Birth registration of a boy Kaju of Bagwanala and he was minor in age but in jail he was kept with adult. Birth Register is very necessary. So, this is first Government process of a person.

Manju Yadav: I am widow, but village head is not consciousness about us. I have above

Poverty line (APL) card and on the card I get only kerosene oil. I am not getting family benefit scheme due to enmity behavior of village head. I went many times to village head and now I am very tired.

Kamala Devi: When my husband died 4 years earlier, due to aids. Village head ask two rupees and photo, didn’t tell why he was asking for these things. Village head gave family benefit scheme to 4 to 5 people and departing us from this facility. I belong to lower caste (Rajbhar); went for caste identification certificate of my daughter. But village head not prove it and now I don’t go to village head for any work. I have above poverty line card and my son is ill. Village head allot land of village panchayt and house to land owner. We land less have not allotted barren land. Village head not listen our problem and he ignores us.

In between the discussion types of doctors and tell difference between wallet and learned doctors. Discussion on the function and the facility provided in Government hospital. Villagers get information about aids. Detail work function of Aanganwadi and Asha worker was told to the villager.

Urmila: in Haruha health center a delivery of a mother was done, doctor gave only 900 Rupees out of 1400 Rupees given by the Government during the time of delivery. When she ask about Rupees than doctor said that 500 Rupees was spend in the medicine that were used during the time of delivery. She also describes the work performance of two Aanganwadi center running in there area. They give coarse meal, halua of sattu and guava of cheaper rate to eat. When villager ask Aanganwadi worker they said only dose of 20 children come, villagers start crying than they give dose to 31 children. They only give 40 gram to children and 80 gram to women’s, the dose came is just doubled what they give. When villager uproar than Aanganwadi worker start doing properly.

Aanganwadi worker said when supervisor take 1500 Rupees to 2000 Rupees, CDPO maidam take 5,000 Rupees. How they will manage in 8,000 Rupees.

Gita Ji: Post office of shivrampur is in thakur ghetto; postmaster of this post office is thakur. My money order came from Delhi and he irregular distribute it. When I with my daughter went to post office than post-master behavior was not good with us, he threat that his son will beat you people. Postmaster spends the money for his own purpose and gave after 4 or 5 days, after giving money order Rupees postmaster ask commission.

She said that if post office from shivrampur thakur ghetto came to ayar, because people from general cast threat dalits people and postmaster should be also change. When I went to post office to take money order than we are wretched by them, call me “Devi of Delhi”

After discussion we hear the story of Sabbri from people of mushar ghetto. As, they worship Sabbri. Some people said that still we are not allowed to enter in ahirowli temple due to caste system. Like this many example are in this area. Upper caste people or people who belonged to developed class does not want that our child should educate. If we will educate than we will know their rights. An upper class person wants to keep the difference of caste system.